KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— In an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) road matchup versus the Johnson University-Tennessee Royals Saturday afternoon, the Montreat women's soccer team notched a point in the conference standings with a 0-0 tie. Thanks to the result, the Cavaliers now sit at 7-3-2 overall and 7-2-2 in league play.
 
Early in the contest it seemed as if the favored Cavs might roll in the matchup. After eluding danger from a pair of Royals corner kicks, the visitors dominated the shot total. For the remainder of the period, the Cavaliers outshot Johnson 16-5, including a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks; however, Montreat failed to find the back of the net.
 
The Cavs' offensive struggles in the first frame were largely due to the goalkeeping from the home side as Montreat's barrage on the Royals' goal was stunted thanks to seven JU saves. Isabel Aguilar led the Cavaliers with five shots, placing two on target, while Sam Aalbue registered four first-frame tries. Logan White kept her clean sheet through 45 minutes due to a trio of saves.
 
In the second period, Johnson (4-9-2, 2-7-2 AAC) brought additional pressure that resulted in more shots toward White's goal; however, the freshman keeper was equal to the task on every attempt. White preserved her shutout by stopping an additional six shots on target to finish the competition with nine saves.
 
The Cavs continued to rack up shots and opportunities into the second half as well, outshooting the Royals 11-7 over the final 45 minutes. Despite the shot disparity, Montreat only put two of the 11 attempts on frame, while Johnson placed six of their seven tries on goal.
 
In a matchup that needed just one score to find a winner, the Cavaliers nearly pulled ahead with under 10 minutes remaining on the clock. With only 8:42 left in the contest, Annika Comendador hit the post, the ball evaded the back of the net and the visitors were kept off the board.
 
"We were everywhere but in the back of the net this game," noted head coach Kristin Eggert. "The longer a team can keep you off the scoreboard builds their hope and momentum [and that's what happened today]. Logan [White] had some excellent saves that kept us in the game."
 
Overall, Montreat tallied 27 shots to Johnson's 14. Each team notched nine shots on goal, while the Cavs doubled up the Royals in corners (6-3). Aguilar and Aalbue each led all players with seven shot attempts on the day.
 
Women's soccer continues its season with a match at No. 23 Reinhardt on Wednesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.